Today's Creation Moment

Mar

31

How Many Smells Can You Smell?

Psalm 45:8

"All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad."

Until recently it was commonly thought that humans can smell approximately 10,000 different odors. But that's no longer thought to be true. So how many different odors can that nose in the middle of...

Let’s Get Real About Hypocrisy!

When sharing the gospel with atheists, Darwinists and other unbelievers, we hear this line all the time. After all, it's probably one of the most common reasons non-Christians give as to why they won't put their faith in Christ. But who is the real hypocrite here?

These people still go to work, though their workplace is filled with hypocrites.

They still go to the movies, though Hollywood is filled with hypocrites.

They still go to restaurants, though they're filled with hypocrites.

They still shop, though manufacturers and retail stores are filled with hypocrites.

Such people are hypocrites themselves because this issue of "hypocrites in the church" is nothing but a smokescreen to cover the real issue they don't want to become Christians. They love their sin and don't want to give it up. They also don't want any deity watching them and telling them what to do. Instead of admitting these things, however, they hypocritically hide behind such statements as: "The church is filled with hypocrites" and "If there's a God, I can worship Him just as easily on the golf course."

In reality, these people are the biggest hypocrites of all because they think they are good enough to merit eternal life in heaven. Christians, on the other hand, readily admit that they sin and that their only hope of heaven is the imputed righteousness of Christ.

So the next time someone gives you the famous "hypocrites in church" objection, let them know that only one Person in history was not a hypocrite and that this Person suffered and died on the cross so they might be forgiven of their sins ... including their wretched sin of hypocrisy.

Comments

Submitted by Tom Christensen (not verified) on Sat, 2010-01-23 12:07.

“When Christian believers gather in churches, everything that can go wrong sooner or later does. Outsiders, on observing this, conclude that there is nothing to the religion business except, perhaps, business – dishonest business at that. Insiders see it differently. Just as a hospital collects the sick under one roof and labels them as such, the church collects sinners. Many of the people outside the hospital are every bit as sick as the ones inside, but their illnesses are either undiagnosed or disguised. It’s similar with sinners outside the church.” ~ Eugene Peterson

Individuals outside the body of Christ, confuse Christ Followers or true Christians with the religious, and others that are concerned with making white washed tombs look good from the outside while being filled with death and corruption. True Christians desire to be changed from the inside out by the Holy Spirit who indwells them, lives changed, but still being men/women of flesh susceptible to sin, but always coming back to Christ in repentance and reconciliation.

"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness." (Matt. 23:27)

While it's true that some religious people are hypocrites, the "holier than thou" attitude cuts both ways. Justifying worldliness by claiming that Christianity is full of hypocrites doesn't work, because it's precisely the worldliness that is at fault. In other words, Christians are supposed to follow Christ, not the world. So if Christians are not following Christ, then it's the worldliness that is the problem. Embracing more worldliness isn't going to help.

Submitted by Darryl Knappen (not verified) on Tue, 2010-01-26 15:47.

When someone makes this comment to me I respond back with, "Indeed it is, care to join us?" The usual reaction is a puzzled look but I follow it up with the simple statement that everyone is a hypocrite at one level or another. The difference between the hypocrites on the outside of the church and those on the inside is that the insiders admit their hypocrisy and continue to repent of it, while those on the outside continue to deceive themselves and hide their true thoughts, imaginations, and evil desires from everyone else.

Submitted by Guy Hesley (not verified) on Wed, 2010-02-03 14:15.

At first, all Christians must admit to be born with the propensity to sin (or to be hypocrites). Only then can they repent, and seek the empowering of a Savior to resist their inclinations.

On the other hand, Atheists have declared their intellect to be "the measure of all things". Their intellect is the god that decides what is sin or what is not. So, in the court of life, they are both the judge and the accused; and see no fault in themselves. Consequently, they only see Christianity as an unnecessary constraint in their pursuit of autonomy.

In a sense, we are all like alcoholics; some of us will seek treatments to resist alcohol, others will work daily at defending their inclinations. Nevertheless, God's plan prevails.